In many instances, the restricted parties could not afford to live in these exclusive neighborhoods at the time of the mandates so no harm done.

Things are different today as there is more 'new money' as well as well-heeled immigrants from China with money to burn.

Growing up in Palo Alto during the 1950s and early 1960s, most people of color resided in the Ventura and South Palo Alto neighborhoods. Very few (if any) lived in the nicer northern Palo Alto neighborhoods.

Things are different today because any Palo Alto neighborhood is considered exclusive regardless of the locale.

I went to the website

Web Link

when I clicked on the link to fill out the form it took me to the Santa Clara County implementation Plan but no form or link to the form to fill out. Could someone include the link to the form.

"Things are different today as there is more 'new money' as well as well-heeled immigrants from China with money to burn."

Things were better 'back in the day' when everyone knew their place in Palo Alto. Neighborhood representation was based on economic means as it should be.

"Things are different today because any Palo Alto neighborhood is considered exclusive regardless of the locale."

True. All Palo Alto residential properties regardless of their appearance or location are considered 'exclusive' by wordsmithing RE agents who are only concerned about their commissions.

Here's the link to the form get your race restriction covenant removed if you don't want to wait: Web Link

Facts and figures, and statistics from our own governmental bodies, seem so dangerous. Ladera is a community where criticism of those facts are literally buried. Wow. Diversity, equity and inclusion are now emblazoned on their "Welcome To Ladera" sign ... how many homosexuals live there? How many disabled residents are there? How does the fact that nearly every resident clears over $100k of income a year, create equity? I mean, over all, it makes for a great story, grandstanding and all. We should be cheering.

"Wow. Diversity, equity and inclusion are now emblazoned on their "Welcome To Ladera" sign ... how many homosexuals live there? How many disabled residents are there? How does the fact that nearly every resident clears over $100k of income a year, create equity? I mean, over all, it makes for a great story, grandstanding and all. We should be cheering."

@MyFeelz...everyone is welcome to be a part of Ladera. FYI, there are many wealthy homosexuals who could easily afford to reside in our warm and welcoming community.

On the other hand, it does takes money which might explain why there are few African Americans and other peoples of color residing here.

Like affirmative action, one should be qualified first as both college admissions to prestige universities and home ownership in affluent communities is not an entitlement nor a Constitutional right.

Priscilla, instead of only catering to the affluent people, how about they build some of those great Lego low-income apartments? Inclusivity, by definition, means "the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized" -- while exclusivtiy is defined by "restriction to a particular person, group, or area." They want the old language expunged from recorded documents. I say leave it in. It's not legal anyway. "Never Shall I Forget" – by Elie Wiesel. There's good reason to let the old documents stay, so that future generations may be reminded. And if generations later should ask why the restrictions are still in a property's deeds, let them study the tradition.

It's not the deeds that are the problem. It's the people who are in the favored class who could change the spirit by creating options to those otherwise marginalzed peole could really be welcomed.

@MyFeelz, your points are well taken but 'Lego low income apartments' are not aesthetically suited for bucolic neighborhoods because the designs clash with the natural environment (think Frank Lloyd Wright).

These types of dwellings are best left in the flatlands like Mountain View and Palo Alto where they not only blend in with the other similar buildings but also provide ease of accessibility to retail establishments and public transportation.

It is not about exclusitivity but practicalities and commonalities.

Not everyone can afford to reside in Ladera or Westridge and the same probably applies to Palo Alto (which I understand is quite pricey as well).

With affluence comes certain privileges and these privileges are not for everyone unless they can afford them.

Liberal-progressives want to believe that everyone is equal and this is true when it comes to one's Constitutional rights. It does not apply to household income and the choice of residency if one cannot afford the costs.

@MyFeelz...marginalized has many meanings. Are we basing it on (1) ethnic considerations, (2) a lack of affluence, or (3) both?

In some cases, various 'marginalized' people might not feel comfortable residing in this locale regardless of the opportunity.

And why? Because it is all about fitting in from the standpoint of shared community values and having similar fiscal resources.

It's like why aspire owning a Mercedes if you could never afford the extended payments and upkeep?

Then again, socialist dreamers like U.S. Senators Sanders and Warren (along with CA State Senator Scoot Weiner) would probably endorse trailer parks in Hillsborough because to them it is an eagalitarian and humanitarian gesture.

We would not feel comfortable residing in Portola Valley or Ladera because the people there are far wealthier and better educated than us. They also ride horses and drive nicer cars.

A old Brown and Kaufman (i.e. a poor man's Eichler) in Midtown is about the best that we can do. Hopefully our children will do better.

Thomas, "With affluence comes certain privileges and these privileges are not for everyone unless they can afford them" well you got another "WOW" out of me. Here I come again with my dictionary, to define privilege: "a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group". So a privileged person isn't any smarter than anyone else, they were either born with a silver spoon in their mouth or got in early in the dot com days, or whatever else they lucked into. Privilege comes with no amount of compassion or responsibility to other humans. That's for sure. Thanks for pointing that out.

Michelle, one of your sentences really struck me. "In some cases, various 'marginalized' people might not feel comfortable residing in this locale regardless of the opportunity."

Growing up, I knew of one segregated small town in Ohio. The white people had a country club with swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball, shuffleboard, you name it they had it. You had to belong in order to be allowed access. It was right next to a brand new elementary school.

In the early 70's with desegregation and busing and other efforts to diversify the population to provide everyone with a country club state of mind, the white people started leaving. Which was great, because it left a lot of vacancies that people of color could afford. As more and more people of color moved in, more and more white people fled.

Eventually, there were so many people of color living there, the town decided to close the country club. Filled in the swimming pools, chipped the asphalt off the basketball courts, dug up the tennis courts and the nets and the poles holding them up. The white people thought, "That will teach them not to keep moving here." Cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

The POC were comfortable living there. It's the white folks who couldn't stand it, and tried to make the town completely unappealing. Same principle in Ladera.

*...it left a lot of vacancies that people of color could afford. As more and more people of color moved in, more and more white people fled.

@MyFeelz: I am relatively new to the area (from Shaker Heights, OH) and some of the older locals have told me that the same thing happened in East Palo Alto which was originally a predominantly white community.

I was also told that the influx of African American residents also lowered the price of EPA residential real estate which was another consideration for the eventual white migration out of East Palo Alto.

While Ladera looks like a nice locale in which to reside, wouldn't an influx of marginalized people of color residents also lower the residential real estate prices?

Perhaps this factor is why some Ladera residents are very scrutinous of who lives there. It is not a matter of racism but rather the economics of real estate.

Interesting as my late husband handled the purchase of our residential property in Southgate. In those days people bought lots and built their own homes which is why Southgate is more distinct than the tract neighborhoods in Palo Alto.

Crescent Park, Professorville, Old Palo Alto and Southgate will always be the most desirable neighborhoods in Palo Alto and with the exception of Palo Alto Hills, the others pale in general comparison.

Local real estate agents will confirm this assessment because they prefer larger sales commissions whenever possible.

Michael/Michaela,Ladera has a population of around 1300. You're spot on, in that some affluent people are averse to inviting lower income people to move to the neighborhood, because it could devalue their property. The residents can scrub the deeds of yore, but nothing will change demographically.

Another option for those who cannot afford to reside in Portola Valley or Woodside is to claim ownership of the property via squatting. This differs from trespassing in that the squatter(s) must reside on the land (or home/cabin) continuously (and preferably undetected by the actual owners) for a minimum of five years.

It is like homesteading and best suited for areas with large acreage. The difference between squatting and trespassing is that the trespasser makes no claim of property ownership and is subject to immediate arrest by law enforcement.

In some of the more remote and private sections of La Honda (near the outskirts of Woodside and Portola State Park) squatting/tresspassing has been practiced on a semi-regular basis for decades but I do not know of anyone who has actually become a new owner based on squatting. Most of the them eventually move on and are replaced by other undetected trespassers.

It is kind of like homelesness but in a more rural atmosphere that offers privacy along with haven for those with a survivalist mindset.

It's probably not realistic nor practical to apply this tactic in Ladera but there is lots of remaining open space further up in the hills beyond Skyline and the areas are not regularly patrolled.

We experienced an incident several years ago when one of our old line shacks became encumbered with unauthorized tenants and they claimed squatter ownership based on their distant Native American heritage.

Their claim was tossed out by the court and now we periodically monitor our property for vagrants.

@MyFeelz
We are planning to sell or house in Ladera because California has become too progressive for our tastes.

If someone wants to buy our home, we will have no reservations as to who they are or what they stand for. As long as the prospective buyers can cough-up roughly $4 million via cash or mortgage approval, they are welcome to purchase our property and reside in Ladera.

For those who cannot meet these basic requirements, there are other places to live.

Why should Laderans feel obligated to accommodate those who cannot afford to live here? And the same applies to Palo Alto.

Champagne tastes on beer income is an unreasonable aspiration.

Not everyone can afford to pay over 3,000,000 dollars for a home.

Why should those who can accommodate those who cannot?

It is not about racism but rather affordability. When we purchased our home in Palo Alto, there were no reservations on the part of the seller or RE agents because we had the monetary resources.

"Champagne tastes on beer income is an unreasonable aspiration."

Yes. If one cannot afford steak, eat hot dogs. No sympathy here for those with unrealistic expectations. Go live somewhere else.

@My Feelz

We have ethnic diversity in Ladera.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2010) the racial makeup of Ladera was 1,269 White (89.0%), 98 Asian (6.9%), 50 mixed race (3.5%), 33 Hispanic or Latino (2.3%). 5 Pacific Islander (0.4%), 1 African American (0.1%), and 0 Native American (0.0%).

According to Business Insider, as of December 2018 Ladera is also the most educated town in the United States.

Since the census was taken roughly 15 years ago, it would be safe to assume that the number of minority residents has increased providing they can afford to reside here.

All ethnicities are welcome in Ladera providing they meet certain parameters.

Ladera is not a haven for the poor or undereducated.

If Palo Alto were to succeed in providing affordable housing for all of the marginalized people existing below federally-defined poverty levels, many Palo Alto residents would complain quite vociferously.

And why? Because the majority of upwardly-mobile Palo Alto residents are no different than those who reside in far more wealthier communities.

Progressivism is little more than idealistic babble.

Despite its lofty & self-issued description as a progressive-liberal community that encourages cultural diversity and equal opportunities for all, there are many Palo Alto residents who embrace a more conservative (aka restrictive) position on affirmative action, equal housing, and immigration.

While they may represent the 'silent minority' of Palo Alto, many of their personal views on political and social issues are no different than those of countless red states and wealthy conservative communities.

Ladera is a small community of roughly 1,300 residents. Why should Ladera accommodate affordable housing and where would it be situated?

Since San Francisco is a both sanctuary city and an economically distressed area in terms of commercial real estate, SF Mayor London Breed and housing advocate Scott Weiner should promote SF as an accomodation site for all of the homeless population and undocumented immigrants in the midpeninsula.

I imagine this concept would be welcomed by most of the homeowners and renters in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties including midpeninsula law enforcement.

San Francisco is in a downward spiral and except for a few noteworthy venues, not worth visiting anymore.

Concurring. With few exceptions, San Francisco has become a very depressing and dour place to live, work, or visit.

250,000 residents have already fled The City as of 2020 and I am one of them.

The Financial District is now 2/3 vacant and Union Square has become a retail morgue. Crime is also on the upswing.

San Francisco would make an excellent venue to resolve the SF Bay Area's housing shortage in addition to providing a haven for all of the midpeninsula's mentally-ill and drug-addicted homeless population.

Instead of wistfully discussing Ladera as an alternative site for affordable housing,
eliminating the entire local homeless populations in Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale via mass transfer to San Francisco would be a godsend.

No one leaves their heart in SF anymore, just the deceased.

Francine, I am sorry to have awakened you from a long winter's nap. The last census was done in 2020. The results are here Web Link ; apparently the black person left and there are still no natives. But here's to trying to diversify by scrubbing old deeds!

Every time I see this article, I think about the song, "Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap". It's a lofty goal to try to whitewash racism, and Ladera is doing their part, by golly.

As for "According to Business Insider, as of December 2018 Ladera is also the most educated town in the United States." -- You may be right. The smart people are fleeing. What will happen, when every home is vacant with a price tag no one can afford? Would it be better to bulldoze them, so as not to attract the ... let's say ... melanin enriched people?

@MyFeelz...wealthy Asians will eventually fill any vacancy gaps in Ladera (if ever) because many of them can easily afford to.

As for the 'melanin enriched' in Ladera, I've noticed that few play tennis or competitively swim and so membership in the Ladera Swim and Tennis Club would probably be of minimal interest to them. I've never seen any riding horses near Westridge either.